A 5-year prospective study of implant-supported single-tooth replacements

Because osseointegration has been successful in the management of completely edentulous patients, it is tempting to extrapolate these results and infer the success of single-tooth replacement. Yet there are major clinical differences between edentulous and partially edentulous patients. This prospective study is a follow-up to one started at the University of Toronto in 1986. The purpose of this study was to continue longitudinal assessment of implant-supported single-tooth replacements.

The original study comprised 42 consecutively treated patients with a total of 49 implants. The patient group consisted of all University of Toronto patients treated with single Br nemark implants whose treatment had been completed more than 5 years previously (i.e., before 1994). No exclusion criteria applied. One implant was not osseointegrated at the time of stage 2 surgery, and 6 patients with reportedly successful osseointegrated implants were not available for recall. For the preparation of this report, 30 of the remaining 42 implants were assessed during recall examinations. Assessment of success was based on published criteria. In addition, soft-tissue appearance, implant immobility, occlusal contacts in centric occlusion and excursions, proximal contacts, tightness of crown and abutment screws, and patients' responses on satisfaction questionnaires were evaluated.

The criteria defining success of treatment in implant prosthodontics were met by all 30 of the single-tooth implants, which had been in place for 5 or more years. Each implant was immobile, and each had a mean vertical bone reduction of less than 0.2 mm annually.

Stable long-term results can be achieved with single Brånemark implant-supported crowns.